Forming apparatus



Jan. 23, 1968 A. A. NORDGREN FORMING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 6, 1965 1' 4 I I I I NQ Wm M INVENTOR BY D1230 m3 WW ATTORNEY5 A. A. NORDGREN FORMING APPARATUS Jan. 23, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 6, 1965 INVENTOR H. N or dq re n BY Dlmwmn W ATTORNEYj Jan. 23, 1968 A. A. NORDGREN FORMING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 1965 INVENTOR H h red H. Nordqven BY mm W WW ATTORNEYS Jan. 23, 1968 A. A. NORDGREN FORMING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed July 6, 1965 INVENTOR FHfled Q. Nordqren D w ML ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,364,711 FGRMING APPARATUS Alfred Aliing Nordgreu, New Britain, Conn., assignor to The Leonard Concrete Pipe Company, Inc., Harnden, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Filed July 6, 1965, Ser. No. 469,473 11 Claims. (Cl. 72169) ABSTRAil'T THE DESCLGSURE A material forming apparatus for forming a section of wire mesh material or the like into a semicylindrical shape, having in combination, a plurality of rolls positioned with respect to each other in a manner adapted to form a section of material passing therehetween into a semi-cylindrical shape, roll protective means positioned upstream from the rolls for preventing an edge of the formed section of material from hitting the rolls, and means positioned upstream to said rolls and adjacent said roll protective means for automatically forcibly ejecting the material over said roll protective means and away from the vicinity of said rolls after it has been formed by said rolls,

This invention relates to forming apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for first forming material into cylindrical or curved shape and then ejecting the formed material.

In the past, wide use has been made of apparatus for forming wire mesh material, substantially fiat sheet material, or the like, into a cylindrical or semi-cylindrical shape. The apparatus usually comprises a plurality of rolls through which the material is adapted to be fed, with the rolls so arranged that the material is formed into the desired shape. However, the prior art devices are deficient in providing new and improved means for automatically ejecting and guiding the formed material after it has passed through the rolls. In particular, the concrete pipe industry, which makes use of wire mesh cages as reinforcements in the manufacture of reinforced concrete pipe has, over the years, continued to utilize manual labor to remove the material after it has been formed. The use of manual labor has not only increased the cost of production, but has also been a serious safety hazard. Further, since the type of material utilized in the concrete pipe industry is heavy and cumbersome, the use of stationary passive deflector structures was not practicable for guiding the Wire away from the rolls after it had been formed.

Accordingly, to overcome the above-mentioned difficulties and inadequacies, applicant has invented a new and improved material forming machine which includes means for actively and positively ejecting formed material from a plurality of rolls. Further, applicants invention includes new and improved means for sensing the passage of said material into said rolls and means for guiding the formed material away from the roll after it has been positively ejected.

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to provide new and improved apparatus for forming material.

Another object of this invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for ejecting material from a forming machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide new and improved ejecting apparatus responsive to the position of material in a forming apparatus.

A further object of this invention is to provide new and improved ejecting apparatus including means for guiding material from a material shaping machine.

3,364,711 Patented Jan. 23, 1868 Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangements of parts which are exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set forth and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference is had to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts in the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the material forming apparatus of this invention cooperating with a material cutting apparatus;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the material forming apparatus according to this invention;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the forming apparatus according to this invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3, showing the material being formed;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 4, showing the material being ejected according to this invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the formed wire mesh material cage according to this invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an electrical pneumatic system suitable for controlling the apparatus according to this invention; and

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 4, showing an alternate embodiment of an ejecting means for a material forming apparatus according to this invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 3, there is shown at 11 the forming apparatus of this invention cooperating with a cutting machine tool generally shown at I12. The cutting machine tool may be of the type shown in US. patent application Ser. No. 420,653 filed on Dec. 23, 1964, entitled Machine Tool, under the name of the inventor in this application. The cutting machine tool 12 includes cutting blades 13 and 14 for severing a length of material 16 (shown in FIG. 1) after being cut, fed over a movable cutting machine tool table surface generally shown at 15. The material 16 is preferably of a cross-stranded wire mesh which may be utilized in the construction of reinforced concrete pipe, although it is to be understood that this invention could be applied to other types of formable materials. The machine tool 12 also includes a track 19 and wheel 20 which permit the table 15 and the cutting blades 13 and 14 to move in a direction that the material 16 is being fed over the table 15 during the cutting operation. The machine tool 12 further includes a clamping device 21 for holding the wire in place during the time the cutting operation takes place. The forming apparatus of this invention comprises a frame 3% for supporting three forming rolls 31-33. The roll 31 is fixed in place in frame 30, roll 32 is movable in a plane and forcibly supported against the material being fed through the machine by a spring 35 which is coupled, by way of a rod to the roll support as. The roll 33 is positionable by the movement of its support 37 by a suitable manual adjustment means 38. The position of roll 33 with respect to roll 31 determines the manner in which the material is formed into a cylinder. Each of the rolls 31-33 are driven through a gear arrangement, generally shown at 40, by a motor 41 in order to drive the material 16 through the rolls and form it at the same time.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5 along with FiGS. 1-3, there is shown the portion of the forming apparatus com prising the rolls and the portion of the apparatus for guiding the material 16 into the rolls and the portion of the apparatus for ejecting the formed material from the rolls onto a guide.

The guide means for guiding material 16 into rolls 31- 33 includes a bottom guide 45 and a top guide 46. The bottom guide 45 is fixedly secured to the frame 39 and the top guide 46 is pivotally secured to the frame 30 at 47. In proximity to roll 31 there is provided a roll-protective member 49, for preventing the material which is being rolled from retracing its path and hitting roll 31. The member 49 is fixedly secured to the frame 30 and in proximity to a portion of frame 30 there is provided a cage guide element 50 for permitting ejected formed material, wire cages, generally shown at 51, to roll down into position at the next work station.

In order to eject the Wire from the rolls after it has passed through and been formed into a cylinder, there is provided an ejecting mechanism which forcibly ejects the cylinder-formed material after it has passed through the rolls and pushes it in a direction so that it rolls down the guide 50. The ejecting mechanism includes an ejecting element 66 which is coupled at 61 to the guide member 46. The element 69 extends from guide member 46 into proximity to the protective member 49. Coupled to the ejecting element 66 is an ejecting plate 64 which is pivotally coupled to the element 60 at 65. Also coupled to the plate 64 is a frame member 68 which extends upward therefrom. A hydraulic or, preferably, a pneumatic cylinder for moving the element 60 in an upward direction is shown at 69. This cylinder 69 is coupled at one side to the frame 3% and has its piston rod connected to the frame 68 in a manner such that upon actuation of the cylinder the piston will move outwardly and the element 60 will be caused to pivot about the pivot point 47.

in order to simultaneously raise plate 64 so that it pivots about pivot point 65, there is provided pulleys 72 and 73 which are coupled to the frame 68. A lifting wire cable 74 is coupled between plate 64 and the main frame 36 as shown in the figures. Thus, by actuating cylinder 69, the guide element 46 and ejecting element 60 will pivot about pivot point 47 and the plate 64 will pivot about pivot point 65 inasmuch as the wire roller 72 will creep up toward the point that the strand 74 is coupled to plate 64.

In order to cause the cylinder 69 to be actuated in the proper time sequence so that the formed cage 51 may be roperly ejected from the forming apparatus, there is provided a sensing mechanism generally shown at 77. This mechanism includes a V-shaped member 73 which is pivotally coupled at 79 to the guide 45. The member 78 is spring-biased by spring 81 coupled between frame 30 and one tip of member 78. The spring 81 biases the member 78 in such a direction that it is above and in the path of the entering material 16 when the material is not being guided into the forming apparatus. When the material is guided through guides 45 and 46 into the forming apparatus, the member 73 pivots to actuate a switch 82 coupled to the guide member 45. The member 78 is preferably of a plate configuration due to the type of mesh material to be sensed. When the end of the material 16 has passed by the tip of member 78, said member pivots and actuates switch 82 causing the hydraulic cylinder 69 to be actuated and eject the formed cage. After the cage is ejected, the hydraulic cylinder returns to its normal position as a result of a member 84 coupled to the pivotally connected member 46, actuating a switch 85.

In FIG. there is shown the position of the ejecting mechanism upon actuation of the hydraulic cylinder 69. The ejecting mechanism not only lifts the wire cage over the protective member 49, but pushes it forward by the action of the plate 64.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, the frame 30 of the forming apparatus 11 is preferably mounted on a plurality of wheels 90 positioned on a track 91 so that the forming apparatus may simultaneously move in the same direction as the cutting mechanism is moving during the cutting of material 16. As is shown in these figures, a rod support member 92 is provided to permit a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder 93 to be coupled in a manner adapted to move the forming mechanism frame 30 along the rail 91. In this manner the sequence of operation of both the forming and cutting machines may be timed so that they may cooperate in a manner to provide formed wire cages at the rate that the wire is being cut from a roll of material which is feeding material into the cutting machine tool.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown a perspective illustration of the cylindrical formation of the wire cage which is formed in forming apparatus 11. The tips of the wire cage are then generally welded together, such that they are suitable for reinforcements in concrete pipe.

With reference now to FIG. 7, there is shown an electrical-pneumatic system for controlling the apparatus according to this invention. The circuit includes the switch 82, which has a normally open contact 32a and a normally closed contact 82b. In series with the contact 82a there is provided a relay coil Re which controls normally open relay contacts R and R The relay contact R is coupled in series with the normally closed switch and is coupled in parallel with the contact 82a. The contacts 325 and R are coupled in series with a solenoid of a 3-way pneumatic valve 161. One side of the valve 101 is coupled to an air pump system which provides air under pressure to the system. Additionally, speed relief valves 197 and 108 are coupled to the valve 101 to permit air to exit in a controllable manner. The output side of valve 101 is coupled to the pneumatic cylinder 69 such that its piston may be driven in one direction and maintained in a fixed position when the solenoid 100 is deenergized.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 7 for a description of the operation of the apparatus according to this invention. As the wire 16 enters the apparatus, the sensing mechanism 77 will be depressed, thereby closing normally open contact 82a and opening normally closed contact 82b. This action energizes relay coil R and closes relay contacts R and R After the wire 16 passes through the apparatus and is no longer sensed by the sensing mechanism 77, the contact 82a is opened and the contact 82b is permitted to close. At the same time relay coil R remains energized due to the holding circuit comprising contacts R and normally closed switch 85. The closing of contact 82b causes the solenoid 100 to be energized, thus causing the valve to simultaneously force air into cylinder 69 and away from the cylinder 69 through one of the exit valves, such that the ejecting mechanism will eject the cage. As the ejecting mechanism reaches its peak, the member 84 will open the normally closed switch 85, thereby deenergizing the relay coil R and the solenoid 100. Thus the piston rod of cylinder 69 will return to its normal downward position as air is permitted to enter and exit from the cylinder 69 in a controllable manner, as a result of de-energization of the solenoid 100.

Referring now to FIG. 8, there is shown an alternate embodiment of the ejecting mechanism of the forming apparatus 11. This mechanism is suitable for use with lightweight wire or material wherein the diameter is small in comparison with that which the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 1-5 is capable of processing. The principal difference is the absence of the ejecting plate 64. The operation of the alternate ejecting mechanism is essentially the same as that shown in FIGS. 1-5.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above constructions without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

What is claimed is:

1. A material forming apparatus for forming a section of wire mesh material or the like into a semi-cylindrical shape having in combination, a plurality of rolls positioned with respect to each other in a manner adapted to form a section of material passing therebetween into a semi-cylindrical shape, roll protective means positioned upstream from the rolls for preventing an edge of the formed section of material from hitting the rolls and means positioned upstream to said rolls and adjacent said roll protective means for automatically forcibly ejecting the material over said roll protective means and away from the vicinity of said rolls after it has been formed by said rolls.

2. Apparatus comprising in combination, at least one feed roll through which the material to be formed is fed, a bending roll positioned downstream, adjacent to and in front of said feed roll for forming said material into a cylindrical shape which is bent in an upstream direction to overlie a portion of said feed roll, means positioned upstream from and behind said feed roll for automatically forcibly ejecting said cylindrically shaped formed material away from said feed roll, and sensin means positioned upstream from said rolls to sense the passage of said material into said rolls and to actuate said means for automatically forcibly ejecting.

3. Apparatus comprising in combination, at least one feed roll through which the material to be formed is fed, a bending roll positioned downstream, adjacent to and in front of said feed roll for forming said material into a cylindrical shape which is bent in an upstream direction to overlie a portion of said feed roll, means positioned upstream from and behind said feed roll for automatically forcibly ejecting said cylindrically shaped formed material away from said feed roll, and a cutting machine positioned upstream from said rolls for providing material to said roll, said cutting machine including means for moving in a downstream direction during the cutting of said material, and said apparatus including means for moving said rolls and said means for ejecting downstream during the cutting of said material.

4. A material forming apparatus comprising in combination, a frame, a plurality of rolls supported by said frame and positioned with respect to each other to form material passing therebetween, a roll protective member positioned upstream to and over a portion of said rolls for preventing an edge of the material being formed from hitting said rolls, and means supported by said frame and positioned adjacent to said roils for forcibly ejecting the material over said roll protective member after it has been formed by said rolls, said last-mentioned means including a first member which is pivotally coupled to said frame and movable in a direction to lift said material after it has passed through said rolls, and means supported by said frame for moving said first member.

5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 4, including a second member pivotally coupled to said first member and movable at the same time said first member is moved by said means for moving said first member,

6. An apparatus in accordance with claim 4, including means for sensing the passage of the material into said rolls and actuating said means for moving said first member.

7. An apparatus in accordance with claim 5, including means for sensing the passage of the material into said rolls and actuating said means for moving said first member.

8. A machine for curving and bending metal material, comprising a pair of feed rolls and a bending roll, one of said feed rolls having a fixed axis, the other of said feed rolls having a resiliently positioned axis which is biased toward the axis of said fixed axis roll, the axis of said bending roll being adjustably positionable toward the axis of one of said feed rolls for effecting the amount that the material fed through the rolls is curved and bent, said bending roll being downstream from said feed rolls and causing a portion of the material to bend upstream and overlie a portion of at least one of said feed rolls, and ejecting means positioned adjacent to and upstream from one of said feed rolls for automatically pushing a portion of the formed material away from said rolls.

9. An ejecting mechanism for a rolling mechanism or the like, comprising in combination a support, an ejecting element comprising a plate pivotally coupled at one end to said support and a means for moving said plate at its free end about said pivot point.

10. A mechanism in accordance with claim 9, including a rolling mechanism protective element positioned between said plate and the rolling mechanism.

11. An ejecting mechanism for a rolling mechanism or the like, comprising in combination a support, a first ejecting element pivotally coupled at one end to said support, a second ejecting element pivotally coupled at one end to said first ejecting element, first means coupling said second ejecting element to said support, and second means for moving said first ejecting element and said first means to pivot said first and second ejecting elements about their pivots.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,221,354 11/1940 Linn 72170 2,870,817 1/1959 Boldrini 72-175 RICHARD J. HERBST, Primary Examiner.

R. D. GREFE, Assistant Examiner. 

